Todd1700

Yeah that's the only problem with a shoulder shot. It will tend to knock them down and most won't get up but you have probably destroyed both front shoulders. Not the choice cuts of meat to be sure but if you have sausage, deer baloney or hambuger made out of it like I do then it's a lot to waste. I just shoot them behind the shoulder in the heart lung area. Some drop, most run 20 to 60 yards but I don't see the big deal. They end up just as dead and in the back of my truck.

nubo

Although the spine and the neck aren't considered ethical shot's ,this will drop them like stone and the loss of meat is at a very minimum.

nubo

zrexpilot

Gotts ta agree with you. he he ! This one fell like a ton of bricks.

jaybird2

neck shots always drop them in there tracks this one was dead before it hit the ground! i always take a neck shots

jones123

I shot this year's buck a little high in the chest and dropped him instantly. I have never done that, and yes, it was great. On the outside, it looks a few inches higher than center. On the inside, it looks like I barely got through the ribcage a couple of inches down from the spinal column. The shockwave from the bullet hits the spinal cord and down they go, and die right away. I doubt there's any pain.

I always aim directly above the front leg, centered vertically on the chest. Frankly, I do this to allow most room for error, not because it's the best kill. The only reason I do not aim low and go for heart is that I'm not that confident.

If it hits exactly where I aim, deer goes no more than 50 yards, if that. Low, I get heart, and maybe 15 yard travel. High, I get instant drop. Forward, I break shoulders and it goes maybe 5 yards. Rearward, deer goes 50 to 100 yards cause I didn't get as much lung. Of course, if it's too far rear, then I get guts and who knows how far they go, if I even get them.

So dropping them in their tracks, for me, actually means I didn't hit quite where I aimed, and I'll bet it's the same on TV, even though it is FUN and you know the buck did not suffer. My son likes to aim slightly high to drop them instantly. He almost always hits where he wants. I am training him to aim lower beacuse he's going to wind up shooting high one of these times.

Go to http://home.mn.rr.com/deerfever/Anatomy.html and you can see how the spinal cord drops as you move forward on the deer.

Outdoor

NECK "for those that are comfortable with it"

FL/GA Hunter

The simple answer is that the only way to make the deer 'not move' is to paralyze it, and you do that by hitting the brain or spine. The reason people who shoot neck shoot there is to sever the spine. Also, if you shoot high on the animal, the shock to the spine will paralyze the animal. The other alternative, hitting the shoulder of the animal, causes a) shock to the spine by trauma to the shoulder, b) a broken shoulder, and c) increased overall trauma by i) increased mushrooming of the bullet, ii) or splintering of the bullet, and iii) bone shards.

Drawbacks:
Brain - that's a pretty small target, and the deer's head is in almost constant motion. I would never suggest anyone shoot for the brain, unless it was a follow-up shot.
Neck - again, small target. If you miss the spine, you hope for the artery, and death by immediate blood loss. If you hit the trachea or all that other neck where there's nothing vital, the deer's not gonna die very quickly at all, and you might not have a blood trail to follow. Miss where you're aiming on one neck shot and you might never neck shoot again.
Spine - it's right there on the back. Shoot over by an inch, and you've got a living deer.
Shoulder - destroyed meat. The overall meat loss isn't actually that much, though, if you do a good job butchering. Unless, of course, you're shooting a magnum or something.

I always, always shoot for the classic heart/lung area, although I do tend to hold close to the front shoulder and clip it sometimes. Every shoulder shot I've ever taken has fallen where it's stood, and I never doubted the shot for a second, unlike how I'd feel if I took a neck shot.

grizzmck

The most preferrable method is to jump out of the tree and slit their throat. Aside from that, the first consideration is to select a caliber and bullet that have the best possible results. After 40+ years, I've settled on 7mag and ballistic tips. The caliber is good to all ranges short of 500 yards (if you've practiced the shots!) with plenty of energy and speed. The ballistic tips from Federal Premium have proven to me and those in my camp that they are well worth consideration. Since going to the ballistic tips the farthest any deer has gone after hit is 30 yards. Most have folded up like a cheap lawn chair. As for bullet placement, the boiler room is by far the best bet. I imagine the heart in the site picture and go for it. However sometimes the lung/heart area is as good as it gets. Anything just at the shoulder point in the middle will get the desired results. See post by seal-hunter for optimum placement. The best advice is practice, practice and then practice. A well placed shot, regardless of whether your shooting a bean flip or a RPG is at the center of the issue. Those neck or head shots, although great for the bragging rights (and I've been forced to make a few of those) are generally low percentage shots not best fitted for a sure clean kill. Just concentrate, aim at a particular hair on the boiler room and relax for the squeeze. Best regrards, Jim

uncle matt

I feel that what you shoot them is a hugely deciding factor. I like to hit 'em out to about 140 yards with a 1-3/8 oz. 12 gauge Brenekke Gold Magnum, with shot placement either directly in the old boiler room or above it to the spine and forward to about 6-8 inches in front of the shoulder. I ain't had any problems with leg movement after the shot, just leg buckling!

Uncle Matt (in IL)

buckmastr229

just in front of the shoulder or shoulder .. neck shots work good to my uncle seen some guy shoot one in the neck with a cb short .22 and droped rite there he said